Gas stations are routine stops for most people, but they also present opportunities for criminals to take advantage of those who are unaware. Before you fill up your tank next time, it’s important to educate yourself on how you can be scammed at the pump.
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Knowing how these scams work and how to avoid them can help you protect yourself and your money.
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Pump Switching Scam
The pump switching scam, which is one of the newer scams, targets people using credit cards to pay at the pump. The scammers have been approaching unsuspecting victims at the gas pump to offer to pump their gas for them or put the nozzle back to complete the transaction. Then, instead of putting the nozzle back on the gas pump to close the transaction, the scammer will continue by pumping the gas into their vehicle.
In some cases, the scammers also have offered to hang the nozzle and then left it active as they proceeded to pump gas for the next customer. In this scenario, the still-active nozzle is used to pump gas for a new customer, where the scammer will request cash for the transaction.
So let’s say you want $50 worth of gas for your car. The scammer will offer to hang the nozzle for you, and then they may add another $50 worth of gas into their vehicle or the next customer’s, leaving you with a $100 credit card transaction. You may not realize that you were a victim of this scam until you check your credit card balance to find out that your transaction was double the cost.
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These scam artists look for victims at the gas station who may be good-natured or appear to be physically weak to offer to pump their gas or to hang the nozzle for them. In some reports, the scammers have been aggressive with the interaction. Some of the suspects have aggressively taken the nozzles from the victims’ hands after they were denied their offer of assistance.
According to one report, a scam victim allowed a stranger to hang up their gas nozzle for them. The victim didn’t think anything of this interaction until they noticed a $165 charge on their credit card, which was much higher than the amount of gas that they had inserted.
How To Avoid This Scam
While there are different strategies for avoiding scams online, this particular one is unique since it happens in person, and you may be caught completely off guard. Here’s how you can protect yourself from this scam.
Stay Alert When Pumping Gas
It’s natural to zone out, or you may even be tempted to check your phone while pumping your gas. This is a routine activity where you may get lost in thinking about your workday or the errands you need to run. With this scam becoming more common, you must be alert when pumping gas. You also should try to avoid interactions with someone who clearly doesn’t work at the gas station who is trying to get involved in your process. If a stranger approaches you, decline their assistance politely.
Always Collect Your Receipt
Hang up your gas hose and collect your receipt every single time by pressing “End Transaction” to ensure you were charged only for the gas you used to fill up. Even if you’re in a hurry, it’s critical that you close your transaction so some scammer doesn’t charge you for additional gas. The time it takes to close the transaction is minuscule compared to how much you will have to deal with when it comes to contacting the authorities and your credit card company.
Alert Staff or Police
If someone gets aggressive or confrontational with you at the gas pump, don’t get into it with them. The best strategy is to call for help immediately by notifying the gas station staff or contacting the police so you don’t get into a physical confrontation. The police also recommend that if you encounter this scam, you should find a safe area where you can remain on the scene until the authorities arrive.
Other Gas Pump Scams
Here are some other gas pump scams you should be aware of.
Skimming Devices
Skimming devices are illegal card readers that scammers attach to payment systems on gas pumps. When you swipe your card, the skimmer “grabs” your credit card data, giving scammers the opportunity to use it for purchases or sell your data to others. Unfortunately, you likely won’t realize that you’ve been scammed because the legitimate credit card payment reader will still read your card’s information and process the transaction.
Here are tips for spotting a skimmer: Wiggle the credit card reader to see whether it moves or whether it looks like it doesn’t quite fit. Other indications are cracks or damage to the reader or it being misaligned.
However, take note that skimmers can be installed inside the gas pump, and you will not be able to detect them. One possible sign is if the locked door on the pump casing has been tampered with, such as if it has gaps.
If you see any signs that a skimmer may be installed on the pump, do not use it and inform a gas station employee, if possible.
Hole in the Contactless Payment Screen
Some gas stations that have moved to contactless payment systems to avoid skimming, but scammers have found a way around it by drilling a hole in the payment screen and installing skimming devices. Once the contactless payment screen is damaged, it will default to the swipe payments, forcing customers to swipe their payment card and expose their financial information to the skimming device.
If you notice a hole drilled in a gas pump payment screen, alert the gas station attendants immediately so they can shut down the pump and investigate.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: ‘Pump Switching’ and Other Gas Station Scams To Avoid at All Costs